Oddfellow & I - Untitled

Oddfellow & I 

Untitled
Artisanhead; 2014

3.8 out of 5

By Eva Cantillo

Oddfellow & I is a full-length release from newfound solo musician Ste Halliwell. Based out of northern England, Halliwell haphazardly found himself creating enough songs to release this collection, which is called ‘Untitled.’ The music found within this album is ethereal and poppy; Halliwell admits the piano is his favorite instrument and it can be heard reverberating at different speeds, melodies and tones in every track on the album.

“Before you go I’m going to leave you, a little dazed, eyes like deep space.” The first song titled “Deep Space,” starts off the album with a pleasant indie-pop vibe. There is an interesting piano melody that is a few tones away from sounding like an organ. The song carries an uplifting yet mysterious air that makes it a varied and dynamic listen.

Up next is "Babies" which is an emotionally resonant song that puts Halliwell's voice and guitar picking front and center. I had a hard time telling if he overdubbed two guitars or his guitar playing was so good it sounded like he was strumming and picking the guitar at the same time. In the end it doesn't really matter but was a thought nonetheless. 

“Mother Hymn” is a beautiful and soft song that begins with a gentle guitar. As the song progresses, this becomes the only thing to hold onto besides Halliwell’s flowing and falling voice. The song is quite hypnotic and dreamy. Contrastingly “My Father’s House” has a less welcoming vibe to it, and all the while Halliwell seems to be releasing energy about his father relationship, or perhaps “father’s house” could be representing something more metaphorical. “I’m going to tear down my father’s house one day, it holds nothing for me but darkness.”

"One More Time" creates a sense of nostalgia and melancholy with piano and distant guitar. It was impressive that Halliwell
didn't go grandiose and instead maintained the same intensity the whole time. The album closes with a backwoods Louisiana like vibe that has a dreamlike quality. It feels like loosely put together song that at almost any point could fall apart completely but doesn't.
 
The style found within this album is vibrant; there is pop and a bit of folk, tied up with indie vibes. The album is well produced and each song has its own unique persona that is unlike any of the others. Untitled is a good listening album overall.

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